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ByrdStories
Musicians from around the globe have long held a special affection for Byrd and his music.
ByrdStories shares anecdotes, thoughts, or connections people had with Byrd’s music. Rather than scholarship, it focuses on short personal stories - brief videos, blog posts, annotated playlists, images and stories.
Some names you'll recognise, others will be new, but all share a love of Byrd. We'd love to hear from you if you've got one to share.
Friederike Chylek's Keybyrd musick
Harpsichordist Friederike Chylek's specialism is English keyboard music of the 16th and 17th centuries. Her three solo recordings, Time...
Feb 19, 2024
Nicholas Mulroy: The Fifth Element/Seeing Like a Child
Born in Liverpool, tenor Nicholas Mulroy was a chorister at the city’s Metropolitan Cathedral before studying Modern Languages at...
Oct 21, 2023
Ross Duffin's Family Ties
Ross W. Duffin is Distinguished University Professor Emeritus and Fynette H. Kulas Professor of Music Emeritus at Case Western Reserve...
Oct 17, 2023
Roxanna Panufnik: Byrd-inspired
Roxanna Panifnik b.1968 ARAM, GRSM(hons), LRAM studied composition at the Royal Academy of Music and, since then, has written a wide...
Oct 13, 2023
Katie Bank's Byrd List
Dr Katie Bank is a music historian at the University of Birmingham and the creator of ByrdCentral. Katie has published scholarly books...
Jun 23, 2023
Richard Rastall's Getting to know you
Dr Richard Rastall is Emeritus Professor of Historical Musicology at the University of Leeds.
Feb 16, 2023
Robert Quinney's Byrd Great, Part II of II
Robert Quinney is Organist of New College, Oxford.
Feb 6, 2023
Earl of Oxford: A Goodly Manor For A Song
This ByrdStory comes from someone with an unusually close historical and musical connection to the composer. The description for...
Jan 11, 2023
James MacMillan's Lament for Will
Sir James MacMillan is one of today’s most successful composers and performs internationally as a conductor. His musical language is...
Jan 5, 2023
Danny & Thomas are excited for Rorate Caeli
Cousin choristers Danny & Thomas chat with infectious enthusiasm about their favourite piece of Byrd: the Advent introit Rorate caeli.
Dec 4, 2022
Patrick Dunachie goes time travelling with Will and Tom (and Tim)
Patrick Dunachie is a countertenor in The King's Singers.
Nov 25, 2022
Roderick Williams: Holding Hands with Composers Past
In this charming video, Roddy gives us a peek into his lifelong relationship with Byrd's music, starting with his boyhood as a chorister.
Nov 18, 2022
Harry Christophers Breaks the Spine
Harry Christophers shares a ByrdStory about his recent experiences with Byrd's 1611 songbook.
Oct 31, 2022
Robert Quinney's Ut re mi fa sol la, Part I of II
Robert Quinney is Organist of New College, Oxford. In addition to the daily direction of New College’s world-famous choir, he is also a...
Oct 9, 2022
Cheryl Frances-Hoad's Your Servant, Elizabeth
Composer Cheryl Frances-Hoad's music has been described as "like a declaration of faith in the eternal verities of composition" (The...
Oct 3, 2022
Jonathan Arnold's Infelix Ego
Revd Dr Jonathan Arnold is Director of Communities and Partnerships in the Diocese of Canterbury and Honorary Research Fellow at the...
Aug 5, 2022
Kerry McCarthy's "No Fishing From This Bank"
Kerry McCarthy is author of the book Byrd (OUP, 2013) A short share. This photo was taken on the bank of the River Trent in Newark, where...
Jul 26, 2022
Sebastian B. Pin's Byrd Tattoo
or, Why do I use my paper, 'ink' and pen?
Jun 7, 2022
Lucy Matheson's Music Homework
Lucy is Librarian at Lincoln College, Oxford, soprano, socialite and occasional allotment gardener. My first introduction to William Byrd...
Jun 7, 2022
Robert Busiakiewicz's Credo Catastrophe
In this video, Rob (conductor, composer, and founder of Opus 8), shares a memorable moment in a French Cathedral with Byrd a 5....
May 28, 2022
Sally Dunkley's Early Byrd Discoveries
Sally Dunkley's long career as professional consort singer has run hand-in-hand with her interest in 16th-century vocal music as...
Apr 11, 2022
Richard Turbet's Byrd, Incidentally
An Honorary Research Fellow of the University of Aberdeen, Richard read English at University College London 1966-69, qualified as a...
Apr 11, 2022
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